Women's sports deserve greater media coverage

On June 20, a world record was broken in New Jersey. Abby Wambach, a forward on the U.S. Women's National Team, scored four goals in a match against South Korea. Those goals gave her the most for a career (160) - ahead of any other man or woman - in international soccer play.

I was there, at Red Bull Stadium, with more than 18,000 men, women, and children (boys and girls) cheering her and the team on. It was an exciting night.

However, I was dismayed by the scant attention paid to this milestone by the Asbury Park Press. This feat earned a brief, one-paragraph wire service article at the bottom of the second page of the Sports section ("Wambach breaks record," June 21).

The world record holder before Wambach is a household name: Mia Hamm. Hamm has graced the covers of magazines and appeared with her teammates on "Late Night with David Letterman." Why was Wambach's accomplishment afforded so little coverage?

Since Title IX was enacted in 1973, female athletes have made huge strides. In a relatively short amount of time, they have become world-class achievers. And as we have seen in the realm of women's tennis, athletic events featuring women can be just as, and sometimes even more, exciting as men's events.